1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an attachment to a land based vehicle (such as a lawn and garden tractor) and more particularly to a box blade assembly in which the box blade may be raised or lowered in a manner which allows contact with the work surface when in use, and easy transport when not in use.
2. Problems in the Art
Small land based vehicles, such as lawn tractors, all terrain vehicles, garden trucks, and the like are commonly used to pull various attachments such as a box blade. Box blades, such as the one shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,250 to Herderson, herein incorporated by reference, are well known.
Currently, box blades and other such attachments are secured to the small land based vehicle using a three point hitch. The lifting mechanism for the box blade assembly must therefore be located on the land based vehicle. This limits the use of the box blade to small tractors which are equipped to receive a three point hitch attachment. Further, when in transport mode, the entire weight of the box blade is supported by the land based vehicle at the point of attachment causing added stress and wear on the metal of the hitch.
Prior attempts to make box blades available for use on small vehicles not suited for three point hitch attachment have left many problems unsolved. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,686 to Ausmus used a ball type hitch to secure a scraper to a small tractor. While such assembly took stress off of the land based vehicle, it left only runners for use in transport. Further, the entire blade assembly could not be lifted from the work surface.
There is therefore a need to provide a box blade assembly which may be used on land based vehicles not equipped to handle a three point hitch. Additionally, there is a need to provide a method of transporting the box blade so as to lift the entire box blade from the work surface using a lifting mechanism not located on the land based vehicle that avoids significant hitch stress. Further, it is desirable to have a box blade assembly which may be transported easily.
There is therefore an unfilled need for a box blade assembly which solves these and other problems. This invention has as its primary objective fulfillment of this need.
A general feature and objective of the present invention is the provision of a box blade assembly which overcomes the problems found in the prior art.
A further feature and objective of the present invention is the provision of a box blade assembly which is secured to a land based vehicle using a ball type hitch.
A yet further feature and objective of the present invention is the provision of a box blade assembly which may be raised in its entirety from the work surface.
Another feature and objective of the present invention is the provision of a box blade assembly which may be easily transported.
A still further feature and objective of the present invention is the provision of a box blade assembly which may be raised or lowered without help from the land based vehicle.
These, as well as other features, objectives and advantages of the present invention, will become apparent from the following specification and claims.
The present invention generally comprises a box blade having at least two opposing side walls, an open top and bottom, and front and rear sides. The walls are connected using frame members and a cutting surface extends between the side walls and below the bottom edge of the side walls. A movable frame member is rotatably secured to the rear of the box blade at one end and operatively secured to one or more wheels at the other end. A lifting member is operatively secured to the movable frame member and to the top of the box blade.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention includes a ball type hitch to secure the box blade assembly to a land based vehicle.